An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can have a real impact on a person and their family. There’s a lot to consider — what the future will hold, what symptoms they’ll experience, and on what timeline.

About 7.5 million people in the U.S. currently suffer from Alzheimer’s. Every year, around half a million more are diagnosed with the disease or another form of dementia. As the population gets older, that figure will continue to rise.

For decades, researchers have struggled to understand these kinds of diseases. But when it comes to testing and treatment, particularly for Alzheimer’s, there have been significant advances in the past few years.

In this installment of our series, “In Good Health,” we tackle the revolution in dementia research. What will that mean for patients?

For more information on dementia research, find Pam Belluck’s latest reporting at the New York Times. And Dr. Karlawish’s “Neurotransmissions” column at STAT News, covering dementia care and research.

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